Just another training routine
by justaway00
Summary: Just another training routine; but it was a bit different with a clingy Tajima, a freaked out Hanai, a timid Abe, and a dependable Mihashi. Just threw some basic occults and ill-intentioned team mates to push the battery, the captain, and the cleanup hitter into revealing their true natures. 2-shots.


**O****wn nothin****g! ****All belongs to ****Higuchi Asa****.**

**Warn: author is not a native.**

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**Just another training routine  
**

**Part 1**

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Hanai was laid flat on his belly, clearly scandalized after his fall. He can hear vague screams on his further right; he knew exactly whose it was, but nothing he can do for Ooki and Mizutani now... he himself is scared as hell (although he can't shout it out loud here, in the darkness and dampness and all this silliness).

The one who planned, agreed, and accepted this idea for their training is to be blame. He is the captain but he never agreed! How dare Momokan and Shigeppo do this kind of 'teaching' to his team. Maybe he shouldn't have said that...

"_But Hanai, your mother told me that you're always jogging in night time. You are not the one to complaint_."

_Hanai retorted hotly, _"_This is very different from that, Momokan! I only jog in the path along the riverside! Very different from THIS! This is totally dangerous..._"

"_Dangerous? On which side?_" _Momokan grinned while saying, "Are you scared of occult things from the rumor, Hanai?"_

_He can feel his ears heated, "Who says! Fine!"_

Hanai cursed at frog jumping in front of his nose. He will confess right now, yes, he is scared and yes, he is afraid of the occult things from the rumor. Screw this advanced mental and relaxation training from Shigeppo! Screw this advanced stamina training! This is not a proper training! This is just another bad joke came from their very dedicated mental trainer and their mischievous coach! He will go back home right now, yes, after doing a little jog in the riverside. Just as his usual practice...

"Ha...Hana...Hanaaiii."

Hanai could felt that the continuous beating on her heart almost stopped.

"Gah! What are you— Tajima?" on first thought he think it was Mihashi. Who else make those familiar stuttered sound? He instantly positioned himself to a more dignified position.

"Thanks God you are here," Tajima scouted beside him, clearly hold his breath, and...is that tears in his eyes? Hanai cannot distinctive it from the sweat without much light (Shigeppo only give each of them a pack of matches to light the candles hidden in THE rumored building, he can see through the darkness because he's already accustomed)— definitely sweat, yes.

"I almost peed myself, sooo scaryyy..."

So it was tears.

"How—how's in your side?" Hanai tried his best not to fidget. Great, now he cannot run. Not in front of Tajima at least.

"I can't do this!"

It is rare to witness Tajima's pessimistic exclamation, but right now Hanai cannot enjoy this view.

"It...it's alright to forfeit. In...in this kind of situation."

"Anything but that!"

Hanai tried hard not to shout, "But you are scared!"

"But I don't want to be a loser, you know!"

"But you said you cannot do this!" Hanai retorted, feeling harassed, now standing straight, "Which is which true?!"

"I haven't finished talking! I can't do this, but WE can do this! Both of us! I think I won't frighten like before," Tajima too, standing in front of him, tried his best to confront the captain with his shorter stature.

"_Well, I'm still frightened even though I'm with you,_" Hanai retorted mentally, instead he said, "Okay. Let's just...uh, just walk first."

But Tajima clutched his sleeves very tight before he can go any further.

"What now?"

"Don't enter by the front, we go from behind. Believe me, I've tried."

"O-okay," Hanai swallowed hard, "_Either way is scary!_"

They marched slowly toward the rumored abandoned old elementary school building. Their team mates more likely have roaming the entire building, but they cannot hear a single sound after Ooki and Mizutani's screams. Right before they reached the back door, Hanai whispered to the clingy Tajima— _what happened? Did he clutch to my sleeve all the way?_ "Tajima...what's your task?"

Tajima answered quietly, "Biology lab..."

"Y-you got the scariest of all."

Tajima gasped,"Wait...you definitely accompany me till the end, right? Right? Right? Righ—"

"Shh, quiet! Yes!" Hanai gulped hard, "But you must always be my side till I complete my task in washroom."

"WHAT!? Yours more eerie! I don't want to meet Toshi! Toshi's the scariest of all!"

"So I won't accompany you! And what is this about Toshi? More likely, we'll meet Hanako."

"GIRL washroom?"

"The washroom is not used for years! And this is my task, go ask Shigeppo yourself."

Tajima huffed weakly, "But still... Okay, we go to lab first, Hanai."

Sighing, Hanai knew that he must follow the order. He don't want to argue anymore in this very time, in this very place, with this very person.

Wisely, they should not disperse in the first place. Unlucky though, that Hanai wasn't the first person. If he was, he'll hold up the second person on the way, then hold up the third so on. They can walk through old abandoned eerie building in one whole team. Nine persons are better than two.

* * *

"It's hot Tajima, you are too close to me."

They jumped at loud crack after Tajima stepped on some light metal. The shorter boy trembled in Hanai's arm, mumbling a weak excuse. Hanai took pity for the boy. He cannot imagine Tajima would be this...limp. But then, Tajima is always so honest.

"The pavement goes to the hall," Hanai whispered and pointed at worn-out pavement that lead to a separated building, "After finished our task, we got to go there. Let's not forget the route. It's so dark here...maybe we can light the matches now."

He groped his pockets and found two candy bars...

"Waiiiit...Tajima, I thiiiink I've lost my matches."

Tajima retorted matter-of-factly, "Mine lost too."

"WHAT!? How can it be?!"

"You lost yourself too! Don't blame me!"

"I should have forfeit and go home in the first place before I met you! Argh! But I'm already hereee...such a waste!"

"Don't panic Hanai, we can lend to those guys," Tajima looked over the hall, "I think I heard voices."

"You heard?! Well, I didn't! And that wasn't a good thing!"

"Relax...they are our team mates right?" Tajima added when Hanai didn't give some responses, "Right? Right? Right? Right? Righ—"

"Shh...I get it. Let's...g-go there first."

They walked through the pavement, a bit troubled by the overly growth weeds. By the various bends, Hanai relaxed a bit. This weed-bending might be their teammates's work, right? But... must they close the door's hall? That felt so wrong.

"I can hear Abe's voice," Tajima said, sounded content. He open the one of the double door with a loud crack. Someone hitching from inside the hall, and Mihashi's voice audible from the darkness.

"W-who...?"

Tajima answered, "Mihashi! Where are you?! We need your matches...ah, is Abe with you too?"

They could hear Mihashi's reply, "Yes... we're here!"

A small light arose from their left, Mihashi's face lit above his finger that holding a single match's flame. Though only a few seconds, they can recall his position.

"You finished your task?" Hanai asked after apologized to Abe. He accidentally stepped on his catcher's feet due to little sight he got without light.

"A-Abe-kun did... I haven't...yet."

Abe mumbled, "This training is stupid."

Hanai cannot agree more, but he kept silent.

"If that so...what are you doing here, Mihashi? Why don't you finished your task?" Tajima sounded like himself again, Hanai thought mentally, "You can join me and Hanai. What's your task?"

Mihashi answered slowly, "Teacher's...room."

"What? Yours easy, only down right there!" Tajima jiggled his feet, "I read the sign...Let's go!"

"Ah...uhm...A-Abe-kun..."

"What's with him?" Hanai asked, astonished.

"I told him to sit in my side till someone get there. But it's okay now Mihashi. You can go finished your task as long as one of you will replace him here," Abe answered Hanai's question with little expression in his voice.

Hanai barked, "You should accompany him to the damned task first, you egoist!"

"No can do. Too scary," said Abe, still lack of expression.

"Oh, you can scare too..."

"Tajima, you are not the one to ridicule him. And Abe! You said scary but you can finish your task!"

Abe retorted with his (still) monotone voice, "At first, I don't care with all of this crap. I always believe that ghosts aren't real, but now they are real, but I still half-believe that they are not real even if I've witnessed some..."

"What are you saying... Abe?"

Abe's voice low and weak, "Do you believe in ghosts, Hanai?"

"..."

"..."

"A-Abe-kun...just shocked. Tho-those mannequin in-in Biology lab—"

"I told you the truth, Mihashi!"

"I-I knew...," Mihashi defend himself by raising his left arm above his head.

"Don't hit him Abe!" Tajima shouted, a little too panic.

"I'm not going to hit him!"

"Yes, you are!"

"I'm NOT— what, Tajima...you sounded—"

Tajima mumbled weakly, "I hate ghost stories...please don't start one."

"Ah, just forget the task and get out of here, will we?" said Hanai, thinking that he's not going to like the answer.

"I'm not going to be called loser!"

"Who cares! Argh! I can't take it anymore. Abe! Give me your matches! Mihashi, Tajima...let's go!"

"Wait! You are going to leave me here by myself?!"

Hanai retorted hard, "Yes!"

"At least, you can leave Mihashi here and you can be the one to finish his task."

Mihashi fidgeting between Abe and Hanai, mumbled some incoherent words.

Hanai spoke up his mind,"No can do, it's too scary," he smirked, "...and who are you? Our boss?! If you don't want to be left alone, join us!"

* * *

In the end, they all stand straight within Hanai's lead.

"H-here Abe-kun...you can hold onto my hand."

"Hanai, can I hold your hand too?"

Hanai mentally snapped, "_What are we? Couples in summer's ghost arcade?! This is so wrong!_" instead he reached Tajima's stretched hand. To be honest, he is scared too.

"We go to teacher's room first."

Hanai cannot hear his teammate's answers, they might likely nod.

"What's the relation of this and instant relaxation?" Abe said with low voice after they went through the weedy pavement, "I bet they just want to make fun of us. I don't feel relax at all."

"You are giving off some heavy alpha-waves right now," Hanai bit back, "That's the very foundation of relaxation."

"Yeah, I'm screwed up, instead."

"True," Hanai chuckled, "Result is, we had focused to find some supernatural occurrences."

"Not 'find some'!" Tajima howled, "Avoid some! And our opponent nowhere scary as supernatural occurrence! Mind you, Shigeppo! You hear me?!"

Hanai swear he heard Mihashi chuckled.

They walked side-by side, Hanai holding Tajima's hand and Mihashi holding Abe's. Hanai in front, Mihashi follow behind.

This will be a long, long night for them.


End file.
